Psalm 42:5-6 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”
Emotional Disconnect
I often find myself experiencing a disconnect between my emotions and what I know to be true in my brain. This disconnect happens when the excitement of a new season in my life has died down and I begin to feel like I’m stuck in a rut, simply biding my time until the next phase rolls around. Or sometimes I am so overwhelmed with anxiety that I can’t see the joy of an experience and I easily lose sight of how much of a blessing it is. Both of these examples are the result of me allowing my negative emotions to rule my judgment.
These verses from Psalm 42 illustrate the powerful authority that we can have over our emotions. There is a startling perceptivity that the Psalmist displays as he asks his soul, “Why are you cast down…and why are you in turmoil within me?” The first thing this verse teaches me is that I am not my emotions.
Recognizing Your Emotions
Recognizing what I am feeling is usually the first step in processing, and hopefully overcoming, my emotions. It’s easy to allow the boredom, depression or anxiety that I’m experiencing to convince me that whatever circumstances I’m facing are meaningless or that something is wrong or missing from my life. However, over the past few months I’ve learned that many of my negative emotions are generally lies.
It’s important to understand that this isn’t the case for everyone. Sometimes, taking the time to listen to what you are feeling will reveal that something actually does need to change in your life. However, at least for me, I’ve listened to my emotions long enough to learn that all they are doing is blinding me from God’s presence in my life.
Once I recognize what the emotions that I’m feeling are, I begin to look for triggers. Sometimes a recent obstacle has upset a specific pattern in my life and has increased my anxiety. Sometimes I have subconscious questions that I haven’t found answers for. And sometimes I’m just exhausted and need to rest and relax. Separating myself from my negative emotions and logically thinking through what may be causing them helps me to identify the things I can do to fight against them.
Remembering God in the Midst of Negative Emotions
If there is nothing I can do to immediately change the circumstances that are evoking my negative emotions, by far the most important thing that I can do is remember God. As the Psalmist said, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you…” Remembering that God has brought me to this point in my life, and that His Spirit is alive within me, gives me the freedom to not succumb to the negativity that I’m feeling.
We serve a Living God who is often 10 steps ahead of our emotions. Pray, meditate, rest and remember that God is more sovereign that your emotions. Sometimes, in the long run, a change of perspective is more powerful than a change of circumstance.
Remember the One who loves you and has called you out by name. Look to Him as you walk in freedom, no longer bound by either emotions or situations. Be free to live a life of peace and contentment knowing that God truly is sovereign over all.
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